Easter a pagan feast?
Many realise that for Easter, languages such as Russian, Bulgarian, Spanish, Hungarian, Latin, French, Italian, Dutch and Portuguese use a word sourced in “pascha”, the Greek for passover. There are some who suggest the English word “Easter” derives from the Babylonian goddess Astarte, the Assyrian goddess Ishtar. Venerable Bede (673-735 AD), said that the English
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God’s love
Does God love us because we are loveable (good), or are we loveable (good) because God loves us? The all-time definitive answer:
Week starting June 12
scripture readings textweek resources • collect/opening prayer reflection for the Day of Pentecost June 12 Pentecost A Pentecost Vigil The week following the Day of Pentecost is the 11th week in Ordinary Time collect/opening prayer reflection for this week (NZPB) The Day of Pentecost is a feast day. It concludes the Easter Season. It does
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face-palm award
I have blogged a bit about the wide variety of liturgical options provided in our church. And I have blogged about the way that people find even this wide flexibility too restrictive. But, even knowing all this, even I am sometimes rendered speechless by the “creativity” of the innovations that people come up with! Hence,
Shavuot
Shavuot begins on the sunset of Tuesday, the 7th of June 2011. The Torah commands the seven week Counting of the Omer, beginning on the second day of Passover and immediately followed by Shavuot. This counting of days and weeks is understood to express anticipation and desire for the Giving of the Torah. As soon
Christian unity?
“Those that say it can’t be done should get out of the way of those doing it.” Chinese Proverb I have not been to the monastery of Bose, but, reading about it, I can see some similarities with the ecumenical monastery of Taizé (I have had a fascination with Taizé since my teenage years, have
Ascension Day
scripture readings textweek resources • collect/opening prayer reflection for Ascension Day June 2 This is the week when the 40-day Easter Seasoners part company from the 50-day Easter Seasoners. white is right Ascension Day reflection In the Southern Hemisphere this begins the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity Keep the Alleluias going. Keep the Easter/Paschal